FREELANCERS ARE SLUTTY, BUT SO ARE YOU Strategies for the Successful Engagement of Independent Contractors

@justlikeair

Hi, I’m Shane & I run a 100% FREELANCE driven company.  

(some people call them clients) A FEW OF OUR FRIENDS

www.shaneandpeter.com

1.  When Does it Makes Sense 2.  Build the Right Team 3.  Craft the Deal 4.  Manage the Relationship 5.  Conclusion

USING FREELANCERS REQUIRES

A UNIQUE APPROACH

A person who offers their time and skill over a limited engagement in exchange for compensation.

Freelancer / Independent Contractor

1. WHEN SHOULD YOU GET HELP?

Is in the Definition The Answer Skill ° Time ° Work Load ° Perspective ° Bureaucracy

You are a master chef learning to code at night so that you can make your own website.

SKILLS Require  ‘rubygems’  Require  ‘atchoum’  Class  SneezyWeb  <  Atchoum      def  layout            html  do                  head  do  

©  Ed  Yourdon  via  flickr  

You missed your son’s grand slam because of the 17th “emergency” in 2 hours.

TIME

Your staff goofs off due to inconsistent workloads.

LOAD

Sometimes the answer is right in front of you and you just need someone to point it out.

PERSPECTIVE

Fill out Form 37A and we’ll get you an in-house designer 3 months from next Wednesday.

Bureaucracy

Great According to the U.S. Department of Labor, approximately 10.3 million workers in the U.S. (7.4% of the U.S. workforce) are independent contractors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freelancer

There are a TON of people who can help.  

not abdicate Delegate

No one knows as much about your business as you.

Is Not Free Look for a value proposition beyond just cost!

Freelance

You can’t always get what you want

Over ½ the requests we get from clients are for the wrong solution to the right problem. Be open to collaboration.

Get What You Need

•  Need a specialized skill •  Your time has greater return elsewhere •  Temporary help •  A fresh mind focused on a problem •  Bypass internal roadblocks •  Saving money might be the wrong answer •  Collaborate to find the best solutions

WHEN DOES IT MAKE SENSE?

2. BUILDING THE RIGHT TEAM

Being the Right

Make a Plan ° Do your Research ° Know your Boundaries

CUSTOMER

How do we win? What are your metrics for success? If you can’t answer this right off the bat,

stop what you are doing. You are about to lose a lot of money.

Don’t buy more than you can handle. It won’t solve your problem and you’ll just get disappointed.

& understand what’s under the hood! Be an educated consumer

$317,280?! Always have a BUDGET defined by your business needs not the market’s cost.

What happens after you are

A purchase has a clear-cut beginning and end, whereas a process is ongoing, and that is what you want from a partner. Consider the life of the effort including maintenance, support and future upgrades.

“done?”

NOW GO FISHING

1.  Ask everyone you know 2.  Place an ad 3.  Check credentials 4.  Evaluate experience

THE RIGHT PEOPLE •  Talented •  Happy •  Helpful •  Curious •  Accountable

TALENTED 1)  Normal interviews often don’t work 2)  Remote interviews certainly don’t 3)  Review portfolios 4)  Try before you buy 5)  Hire slowly and fire quickly

PERSONALITY MATTERS MORE THAN TALENT When it comes to finding the right freelancer:

HAPPY

HAPPY

HELPFUL

HELPFUL

CURIOUS CURIOUS

ACCOUNTABLE

get multiple contracts Not everyone is going to be the perfect fit

* In 2010, we tried 43 contractors of which 15 have multiple contracts (good year)

1 OUT OF 3 *

•  Be the right customer •  Find a good fishing hole •  Try before you buy •  Figure out YOUR culture •  S&P’s: Happy, Helpful, Curious •  Accountable •  Failures are inevitable, plan for them

THE RIGHT TEAM REVIEW

3. CRAFTING THE DEAL

Enough talk…

The 4 phases of a contract: Discovery, Diagnosis, Design and Deal

Let’s Hook Up

WHO PAYS FOR THE DATE? Creating a bid costs time and money. Interestingly enough, the industry typically dictates who pays:

Industry   Vendor   Client  

General  Contractor  (ConstrucFon)   ✔  Mechanic   ✔  Digital  Agency   ✔  

Technical  Writer   ✔  

Plumber   ✔  

Deliverables Exclusions & Dependencies

Define exactly what you expect to receive for your investment. Figure out if there are any steps that must be first taken

by either party in order for the project to succeed.

COMPENSATION METHOD Fixed

Hourly

Retainer

Results

Barter

FIXED SCOPE There is no such thing as a

I have yet to have a project that does not change as we work on it. This has proven true in construction projects in real estate as well as software & hardware. The act of creation is the act of exploration.

Scope Time Budget Quality

HOW DO YOU MEASURE? Scope  1hr  20m  acFve  play  together  per  day  3  meals,  hand  cooked  

Time  11-­‐14  years  

Payment  Licks,  hugs,  cuddles  and  undivided  love  

Ownership Support Liability Solicitation Expiration

TERMS & CONDITIONS

It doesn’t matter what it says, if they don’t

Legalese is for lawyers, not people. Write plain English contracts. The best way to avoid problems down the line is clarity up front.

UNDERSTAND

GET IT IN WRITING A handshake is a contract. Odds are, though, that you just shook

on two different things. The effort of writing a contract encourages clarity.

S&P Contract Templates Client Contract: http://bit.ly/sp-customer-contract

Master Services Agreement: http://bit.ly/sp-master-services-agreement

•  How do I win? •  Nail the scope •  Tie it to a budget •  Agree on a deadline •  Discuss terms & policies •  Put it all in writing

CRAFT THE DEAL REVIEW

4. MANAGE THE RELATIONSHIP

5 STAGES OF A RELATIONSHIP

1. Romance / Attraction …......... 2. Reality Sets in …..................... 3. Power Struggle …..........…..... 4. Commitment ….........….......... 5. Co-Creation / Stability ….........

Exploration OMG Love / Hate it Scope Creep The Big Push Revisions / Support

From  a  presenta,on  by    Josh  Sages  (h4p://slidesha.re/9y8ACi)  

The success of your project happened during

The secret to managing a relationship with a freelancer is trust and clarity. Both of those were shaped during the sale.

THE SETUP

How to build loyalty in a polygamous environment?

PAY CONSISTENTLY & ON TIME

Make YOUR Deadlines Most of our deadlines get blown by our clients, not by us. It is your project. You must hit YOUR deadlines.

Nothing says “I care” more than “I hear you and totally understand.” You hired a technical expert. Please listen and seriously consider our advice.

STOP Collaborate & Listen

BE ORGANIZED Know where to find files. Keep track of dates. Reply to your emails.

JEALOUSY IS NOT SEXY Respect the fact that freelancers work for multiple clients.

Clear Feedback is Essential The only true measure of feedback quality: WTFs / Minute

Adapted froman OSNews.com comic

TOOLS DON’T HAVE DREAMS. PEOPLE DO.

Check Yourself

Client meeting for a Jewish teen website:

Client: “We want something that has sort of an anarchist edge. Something crazy like Mickey Mouse with a swastika or something.”

Me: “Are you sure your demographic is comfortable with swastikas?”

Client: “Why wouldn’t they be?”

clientsfromhell.net  

Before you wreck yourself

95% odds they are a

Which means unless you have hired a project manager, you ARE the project manager.

TECHNICIAN

KNOW THEIR STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES You can ask a plumber to fix your car, but don’t be surprised when it breaks.

•  What did you do last?

•  What will you do next?

•  What is in your way?

•  Do you need a meeting?

We  call  it  a  “Scrum”  

THE KEY TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT: REGULAR REVIEW

WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG When things are not working out, document, document, document. The best way to handle a charged and emotional situation is with a list of facts.

Serial Polygamy •  Check availability and book ahead

•  Consistency drives loyalty

•  Share your excitement

•  Provide opportunities for learning and growth

•  Promote them to your network

•  Be flexible

•  Grow together

•  Did you setup a win? •  Pay on time, make your deadlines & be organized •  Freelancers are people not tools •  Check in on a regular basis •  Give clear feedback •  Maintain accountability while offering trust •  Be prepared to manage and measure performance •  Check yourself •  Plan for a long-term relationship

MANAGE THE RELATIONSHIP

1.  When Does it Make Sense 2.  Build the Right Team 3.  Craft the Deal 4.  Manage the Relationship 5.  Conclusion

USING FREELANCERS REQUIRES

A UNIQUE APPROACH

Freelancers are slutty but so are you

We live in an open market. The best freelancers get to pick from a wide pool of suitors. The best clients pick from a wide pool of contractors.

In a polygamous world, we have choices. When competing for attention, there are key things you can do to improve your odds:

Partners, not tools Look for the right long-term partnerships. Start with skills, but quickly move on to those things that drive a relationship.

You are going to have to work This is your baby. Prepare yourself to engage actively in the project.

The sale often defines the outcome

I can usually tell you if a project will succeed or fail before it even starts.

Set them up to win Provide the information, support and consistency

they will need to succeed fabulously.

Be On Scope, Budget & Time Work together to have the project

And in the famous words of Bobby McFerrin

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

@justlikeair   shanepearlman.com